Action RPG

Elden Ring Nightreign’s World Feels Distinct and Enthralling, Despite the Familiarity

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When considering top open-world games, certain key factors tend to stand out. Does it entice you to veer from your path for discovery? Do the discoveries made during exploration bring satisfaction? Is there an appropriate level of resistance to guide your actions? Are the rewards compelling enough to justify potential dangers?

At this point, Elden Ring from FromSoftware is more than three years old, along with a well-received expansion, yet it exceeds expectations in numerous ways. The Lands Between don’t just encourage you to grow stronger and fight for fragments of the Elden Ring; they also tantalize your curiosity by presenting mysteries that fuel your innate sense of wonder. This intrigue builds as you encounter more surprises, revelations, and challenges right up until the very end, even with occasional setbacks in the latter stages.

The Realm of Shadows adopts the design concept of “something intriguing in every nook and cranny” and compresses it into a smaller area. Its verticality is a notable feature, appearing as platforming challenges at times but also altering the tone of exploration. Uncovering its secrets becomes more suspenseful, making the pursuit of them even more rewarding.

Pondering Elden Ring Nightreign alongside other mentions is intriguing, yet it often triggers comments like “95% reused assets” and “single-player games are great, but multiplayer would be even better.” I can understand this perspective, considering FromSoftware’s impressive track record in creating captivating single-player experiences. However, the notion that they might divert their talents to an online cooperative game may seem surprising to some. Moreover, the resemblance of Nightreign to battle royale and extraction games doesn’t spark much excitement among those who are weary of following trends.

Although I’m somewhat intermittent with cooperative games like Helldivers 2, Destiny 2, and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, and eagerly anticipating upcoming releases such as FBC: Firebreak, Nightreign has piqued my interest, particularly due to its captivating world. From the gameplay demonstrated so far, it appears that Limveld is striking a perfect balance between providing a meticulously designed multiplayer map and feeling like an authentic living environment, at least based on the shown footage. The fact that FromSoftware can achieve this harmony while reusing numerous assets from Elden Ring is quite remarkable, suggesting a deeper grasp of multiplayer dynamics compared to many other games.

In Elden Ring, Nightreign’s central storyline focuses on the struggle of the Nightfarers against the encroaching darkness engulfing the world. The role of the Nightlord in this is a mystery, as is how it might connect with the main game. However, your objective is to descend into Limveld using the Spirit Falcon, gather resources, and grow powerful enough to confront the Nightlord, if possible, or simply make it through the day.

In much the same way that many games from FromSoftware are structured, your journey isn’t straightforward. It consists of three distinct phases: two where you need to endure and confront a randomly selected boss, followed by a final battle against the Nightlord. During the daytime, you have ample opportunity to explore freely. However, as time progresses, an encroaching boundary will limit your map, similar to a battle royale scenario. If you prefer to return to the Roundtable Hold, which acts as your starting point before embarking on your adventures, standing outside of the boundary is acceptable, but it will swiftly transport you back there.

In most battle royale or extraction games, you pick a spot, gather weapons, ammunition, armor, and healing supplies, then progressively eliminate opponents as you move forward. The shrinking play area, symbolized by the closing ring, intensifies the competition, making it challenging to dodge other teams since encounters with them are unavoidable if you want to secure victory. Yet, popular locations can be risky because they attract many players and survival isn’t guaranteed.

In Nightreign, the layout and decision-making process remain consistent across games, but the prizes are shuffled. Mini-bosses that offer superior rewards appear randomly, as do the bosses at the end of Days 1 and 2. Although you may frequently encounter locations such as Evergaols, caves, and the central castle, which provide Runes to boost your power incrementally, the actual rewards might not be what you’re seeking or could play a crucial role in your build and aid in completing the run.

In comparison to Shadow of the Erdtree, FromSoftware incorporates a greater degree of mobility for exploration in Elden Ring, including faster running and traversing environments. However, you’ll primarily move on foot and not be able to access every area of Limveld. You might choose to gather Runes by tackling tougher mini-bosses for better rewards or clear camps and forts to gain insights into the surrounding territory. Despite some similarities, the rhythm and layout of Limveld create a unique atmosphere, reminiscent of the Land of Shadow yet distinctly Elden Ring, with moments that are measured, chaotic at times, but always maintaining its own character.

In addition, there’s Shifting Earth, an attribute that introduces fresh points of interest on your map, such as Crater. This fiery location is brimming with lava and tough adversaries, yet it offers substantial rewards. The question is whether to upgrade first and then dive in, potentially reducing the time before the circle begins to shrink? Or perhaps risk entering early, relying on your abilities, current setup, and teamwork to survive? Is it wise to potentially fail and miss out when it comes to confronting the boss? Each choice you make significantly impacts the game, and quick decisions must be made.

A twist in this game is the Remembrances, which offer insight into each character’s backstory as you progress, but later on, they give individual missions that require traveling to specific areas of the map. These missions push you to explore potential new locations and adapt your strategies for each run. I do wonder how this will play out in multiplayer, especially if we need to defeat a certain boss while a teammate is completing their personal objective. On the other hand, these objectives differ based on the Nightfarer – for example, the Raider focuses on 1v1 battles in a coliseum and appears unrelated to the exploration of off-the-beaten-path areas in Limveld.

With its rogue-like gameplay elements, FromSoftware challenges players to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the game map, including static locations and potential Earth modifiers that might change. Players are also encouraged to perfect their character’s build as a Nightfarer, which can be either a melee warrior or an agile ranger.

The rapid pace of leveling up and fewer restrictions on equipment use is counterbalanced by the random nature of the loot. At times, you may need to adapt swiftly to optimize your character’s build for success in defeating the respective Nightlord.

Although the network test provided a substantial glimpse into Limveld’s landscapes, I can’t help but wonder if it merely hinted at the mysteries yet to be uncovered. I’m eagerly anticipating discovering how else the map might evolve and what formidable foes could be lurking ahead. Despite not providing the same expansive open-world adventure as Elden Ring or Shadow of the Erdtree, Nightreign has the promise to become one of the most immersive cooperative Souls-like experiences when it debuts on May 30th.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

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2025-05-26 13:41

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